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Since my last installment, our little engine of rock ‘n’ roll has taken us through our second continent of three to be included in this year’s touring trek. For our international run of shows on the Shout It Out World Tour, we kicked things off way south of the U.S. border in vibrant Brazil and other parts of South and Central America. The word vibrant is a good one to describe the experience we had visiting these countries, as well as the attitude and feel of the photos in this latest blog, which are filled with lots of color and spark.
This year’s whirlwind of touring was designed to get us back to many of the places outside of the U.S. that we hadn’t visited in some time. With several years passed since we visited places like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, we had to keep expectations low for the shows, but of course our hopes were still high for a great tour. From moment one on our arrival in Porto Alegra, Brazil, which was our first stop in our southern journey, it was clear we were in for a great run.
We’ve been blessed to see extraordinary passion for our music from our South American fans and were greeted by many of them at the airport in Sao Paulo and Porto Algre. What started as a nice hello with many who had come out to welcome us back, turned into a frenzied run to make it to our vehicle as many fans hoping to get a picture, autograph or a personal interaction made their way toward us. Throughout our trip we were pleasantly surprised to see so many excited fans and were touched by those who were concerned that the affection was too much. Be assured, you never have to apologize for your passion.
In this collection of pics, I tried to capture some of the rich colors and scenes we experienced along the way, from our amazing meals in Brazil, Chile and Argentina to cultural landmarks like Santiago’s San Cristóbal Hill, where we saw incredible views of the whole city. There were also lots of great moments on stage captured by my co-photo-enthusiast, who has contributed some of my favorite pics to this blog taken during our shows in Sao Paulo, Mexico City and more.
Our incredible concerts and visits with fans in each place we have visited has felt like a great adventure. No matter how many times I step onto another plane, or sort through a new currency in my pocket, or walk through an outside mall in a new land, I am lifted by the reminder that somehow music means something to people no matter where they are in the world. I know that to be true because of my own affection for the songs I know, the artists that created melodies and rhythm that I feel are my own. Somewhere along the way we started doing something that allowed us to be that for a few, and sometimes for many, in different lands.
I hope you enjoy a few snapshots from the colorful places and people seen along this latest portion of the journey. You will see fans in fast pursuit of our next location, hanging from cabs and windows, scenic views, some stage excitement and all the little moments that make up the day, like a simple cup of coffee on a morning in Buenos Aires.
Enjoy The Ride,
Taylor H
Taylor H